Glad you posted your question at ECN, where we are all mature adults, not given to name calling and crass comments :-)
There is a LOT more to the trade that either the code, or knowing what the parts are.
You need to get a "feel" for wire pulls, so you will lay them out better the next time.
Bending pipe is an art, and not something you learn by reading a book.
Only time with a shovel will teach you a 24" ditch is twice as hard to dig as an 18" ditch.
You need to see how things were done, during different periods, so you can learn how to work with them.
You need to learn how to "think," so the next guy won't have to spend all day trying to figure out what you were doing.
Finally, you need to see how a job site operates....how the trades interact with each other...and why "customer" begins with "cuss."
After the second year, many apprentices figure they've learned all they need to know....now they just need to put in their time. At the end of the program, these same guys are amazed at how much more there is to learn.
In a sense, a "journeyman" card means you're ready to really start learning.
There are a lot of related trades....some even call themselves 'electricians.' Only in an apprenticeship program, with a rotation among different employers, are you systematically exposed to all the parts of the trade.
